Iran translator defends Country, Misinterprets Trump’s Speech

An Iranian television translator defended
himself Wednesday after being widely
criticised for soft- balling US President Donald
Trump’ s attacks on Iran in his maiden speech
to the UN General Assembly.

Nima Chitsaz, a translator for state broadcaster
IRIB, said he had decided in the heat of the
moment to spare his Persian-speaking viewers
from the verbal attacks by the US president.

“I don’t think it would be nice for me to speak
on national TV against my own country ,” he
later told IRINN television .

As a result , when Trump accused Iran of being
a “depleted rogue state whose chief exports
are violence , bloodshed and chaos” , Chitsaz’ s
Persian translation was simply : “Iran speaks of
destroying Israel.”

Trump later told the UN assembly: “Other than
the vast military power of the United States…
Iran’s people are what their leaders fear the
most. ”

Which was translated for Iranian viewers as :
“The US Army is a very strong army and the
Iranian nation is a very strong nation .”

“This is what causes the regime to restrict
internet access , tear down satellite dishes ,
shoot unarmed student protesters , and
imprison political reformers ” was relayed as:
“Many incidents happen in Iran which are
unacceptable to us.”

Chitsaz was slammed on social media , with one
reformist politician accusing him of “ censoring
and distorting ” the speech .

Even the semi -official ISNA news agency said it
would further erode trust in the Iranian media,
and push viewers to use exiled Persian
channels instead.

“Are you paid to translate or to translate
whenever you see fit?” wrote one of many
mocking Twitter users.

“You should have translated Trump ’s nonsense
so that people could better judge this stupid
person ,” argued another .

Chitsaz responded by saying that the English
had been left loud enough for people to
translate for themselves.
“I think anybody else in my place would not
have translated it ,” he said.